As most of you probably know, the History Channel just released the first episode of the Bible series they are doing. It is a 10-part series going through the Bible story. It airs on Sunday nights, and it was a hit on their first part. I recorded it and watched it tonight. I went in expecting it to be full of inaccuracies, but I came out surprised. It was very good. But I did have several issues with it, one of them being pretty major. I will start off with the minor issues, and later get to the major one.

My first issue came rather early in the show. It deals with the story of the destruction of Sodom. Scripture says that angels of the Lord, disguised as regular men, came to Lot and were Lot’s guests. The men of Sodom came to Lot’s house demanding that Lot hand them over so that they may perform homosexual deeds with them. But Lot refused and offered up his two daughters instead. The men were angry and pressed up against Lot when the two angels grabbed Lot, pulled him inside and struck all the men with blindness.

The people who made the Bible series, completely left the part where Lot offered up his two daughters, and told the wrong reason for why the men wanted the two angels. They wanted to kill the two angels, not “know them” as Scripture teaches.

Another minor issue deals with the burning bush incident. Scripture teaches that Moses had gotten married, and was tending after the flock of his father-in-law’s sheep. While tending after the flock, Moses sees a bush that is on fire, but not being consumed.

The makers of this series never mentioned that Moses was married, and portrayed this event like this: it was poring down rain, and Moses was fixing his tent. After he fixed his tent, and was resting inside, he heard a voice and went outside and saw the bush. This is a completely different story than what the Bible teaches, and yet they are claiming they are teaching the story of the Bible.

Another issue actually came in the previews for a later episode when they go through the life of Christ on earth. Scripture teaches that Jesus was not handsome. In fact, Isaiah 53:2b says “…he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.” But this series, along with every other depiction of Christ, has him looking very handsome. They also depict him as a person who stands out from the crowd when Scripture says otherwise. Didn’t Judas have to kiss Jesus in order for the soldiers to know it was Jesus when they went to arrest him? If Jesus stood out from the average person, then why would they have to have Judas kiss him on the cheek to know?

Here comes the major issue. This goes back to the burning bush scene. Exodus 3:13-14 says this, “Then Moses said to God, ‘If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?’ God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’‘”

But the series portrays it completely differently. In the show, Moses doesn’t ask God what to say if the Israelites ask who has sent him. but rather, Moses asks how will he free the people. And here is where it gets major. The response was “I’m with you.” Scripture says God called himself “I Am,” but the series say “I’m.” This is a slap in the face, not only to Christians, but to Jews as well. They altered the name of God. Once you change the name from “I Am” to “I’m” then you have altered Scripture. You are trying to change God.

Now many may argue that this was a simple mistake when making it. That they didn’t realize what they were doing. But I argue that they did know. If you are making a documentary on something like the Bible, then you know about the subject. God’s name is definitely a big deal in the Bible, and they had it wrong. An industry that is notorious for the attacks on Christianity. So think again. Was it an accident? Or was it an intentional slap in the face?

I look forward to next week’s episode though, and I hope they are more accurate next week than they were this week.